‘You get this thrill every time somebody offers you a job as an actor and it never leaves you’

Home-grown actress Rosalie Craig is getting rave reviews for her role in the West End theatre production ‘Company’.

PHIL LOWE chats to the Nottingham born and raised star about her early life in Woodthorpe, local influences and theatre successes

SHE may currently be in a hit West End show but as she sips mint tea in her dressing room at the Gielgud Theatre on Shaftsbury Avenue, Rosalie Craig confesses that she has a phobia about looking at any reviews until a show is over.

Rosalie has gone from success to success in major productions such as National Theatre’s The Light Princess, the multi-award winning The Ferryman, City of Angels at The Donmar Warehouse, Aspects of Love and As You Like It. But how did it all begin?

“My mum and dad live in Woodthorpe and that’s where I grew up until I was 18 and went to London to study at Rose Bruford.

“I grew up in Nottingham in a very supportive family. Nobody was involved in the arts. It was just something that I was really interested in.

“I went to Arnold Hill Comprehensive and they had a brilliant music department and I just fell in love with music, singing, acting – all of it. We went to Nottingham Playhouse a lot as a child and we’d go religiously to the panto every year.

“Every time we came out after the panto I’d think ‘that’s what I want to do!’ I was completely starstruck by everything to do with theatre; the smell of it, the feel of the programmes, the atmosphere before you go in and so on.

“Growing up in Nottingham I felt like I had such a wealth of places to incubate my passion. I went to Notts Educational Theatre Group from about 13 until about 16 and then I joined Cantamus Girls Choir who were based in Mansfield.

“They primed lots of people to go into the opera world but I thought no – I had to go into theatre.

“You never know what’s going to happen in the future. You know, and this is funny, as a child I’d be in the back garden dancing around with Adam Penford who now runs Nottingham Playhouse! How funny is that! I never thought I’d get to do this for a living!”

After leaving Nottingham, Rosalie gained a place studying for a BA in actor-musicianship at Rose Bruford and after graduating she debuted at the RSC in a musical version of Alice In Wonderland. Rosalie relates her shock at such good employment luck.

“I couldn’t believe I got into the RSC. Not only that but the fact that someone wanted to hire me and also pay me!

“You get this thrill every time somebody offers you a job as an actor and it never leaves you. It’s a famous thing in the acting community that even Judy Dench says that as soon as you finish a job you are convinced no-one is ever going to employ you ever again.

“Some actors are so superstitious they won’t tell you if they’ve got an audition in case it doesn’t come to anything.

“Their friends will invest in it and keep asking how its going. They are just making the pain of not knowing twice as bad.

“Saying that, my parents have been amazingly supportive with me in this self-led acting quest of mine. They’ve been with me through the highs and the lows and always love to come and see me perform. They are part of it and they come to all the opening nights. It’s just amazing being on stage and knowing that they are out there. I think they are also impressed that I can now pay the bills with my type of work!”

“One of biggest questions I get asked in interviews is are you a professional? That’s crazy isn’t it? Some people just can’t believe that performing in musical theatre is a profession.”

Asked about the highlights of her drama and musicianship training Rosalie smiled. She said she spent three very happy years at Rose Bruford even though she had no idea what the course was going to be.

“I was quite green when I started college and went there solely because at the time I was just constantly writing music as a child and teenager.

“Just on the piano and the guitar and I thought ‘this is great – I can compose and train to be an actor as well’. What was so amazing about that particular course was, let’s say I was in a production of A Taste Of Honey, I would also be writing the music for it as well. Then I’d have to teach the actors who may have never played a musical instrument in their life how to play them and how to perform the score.

“I don’t think I have worked that hard – ever. I suppose when I left home to go to university I didn’t know what it would be like. I thought maybe a few lectures and then off to the pub!

“My degree really set me up for the industry because I worked such incredibly long hours - like 14 hours a day - and the profession is the same thing. You work all the hours available to get the production on stage.”

I mention that I recently interviewed National Theatre artistic director Rufus Norris for the Nottingham Post. Rufus directed Rosalie in the musical ‘Wonderland’ and also the London Road musical.

“I did my first ever production called ‘Table’ with him in a building called The Shed which was outside the National for years. His wife Tanya Ronda wrote that.

“Rufus is a lovely man and I am privileged to say that he is a good friend of mine. I think he’s one of the best people you’ll ever meet. In fact I was just speaking to him as we’ve just been to the Critic’s Circle Awards in which Company won Best Musical and Best Set Design.

“When I saw our poster for Company I knew something very special was happening and the teenager I used to be would have screamed with delight. Every night in Company my character sings of the joys of being alive. It’s certainly a great time to be that.”

Company is running at the Gielgud Theatre, in Shaftesbury Avenue until Saturday, March 30, 2019. Tickets: https:// tickets.delfontmackintosh.co.uk